The United States Strategic Command has yet to make it official, but the organizers of the 136th Tournament of Roses Parade, which is held in advance of the annual Rose Bowl college football match-up on New Year's Day, have included a flyover of a U.S. Air Force Northrop B-2 Spirit bomber in the upcoming program.
It isn't a holiday surprise, however.
The flying wing aircraft, which are operated by the U.S. Air Force's 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri, have been a staple at the annual parade since 2005—with only a break in 2023 due to a safety stop following a crash weeks earlier. That resulted in a pair of Rockwell B-1B Lancer bombers from Dyess AFB, Texas, filling in before the B-2s returned this past January.
It would seem unlikely—barring another unfortunate incident—that the Air Force's B-2s would sit out what has become a fan-favorite tradition. It provides a rare opportunity for many to see the famed bomber in the skies overhead.
"We have enjoyed a long relationship with the city of Pasadena and are honored to bring the B-2 back to demonstrate Team Whiteman’s commitment to the American people," Col. Keith J. Butler, 509th Bomb Wing commander at Whiteman Air Force Base, said in a statement last year when announcing the Spirit's return to the famed parade.
Today, it is common at large sporting events for U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine, and U.S. Navy aircraft to take part in a flyover. It is now expected—along with the National Anthem—at such events as the Rose Bowl, the Super Bowl, NASCAR races, and Major League Baseball's World Series.
Flyovers are not a new tradition.
It was more than ninety years before the B-2 began making its appearance at the parade that the first flyover at a sporting event occurred. According to Blue Sky News, it took place on September 15, 1918, during World War I—while the country was also dealing with the global influenza pandemic.
"60 military aircraft flew over Game 1 of the World Series at Comiskey Park in Chicago," Blue Sky News explained. "Nearly 20,000 fans looked in awe at the plane-filled sky, then watched with considerably less pleasure as the legendary Babe Ruth, pitching for the Boston Red Sox against the Chicago Cubs, threw a complete game shutout en route to Boston's fourth World Series win in six years."
No doubt the sight of so many aircraft fewer than twenty years after the first manned flight might have been even more memorable for many in the stands than seeing Ruth at the mound! In the century to come, the U.S. military has only served to offer even more impressive flyovers.
As Simple Flying reported, the impressive displays "represent the culmination of months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated individuals."
Planning takes months and involves coordination with the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local authorities. But it can result in something truly special.
Such was the case in January 2021's Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida, which featured all three bombers that are currently in service: the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, B-1B Lancer, and B-2 Spirit. It was the first such flyover of all three aircraft in such an event. The aircraft, from three different bases, rarely operate together but for the big game flew just 250 feet apart at 280 mph!
A year later, it wasn't bombers—but to mark the Air Force's 75th anniversary in 2022, Super Bowl LVI saw a P-51D Mustang, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, and F-35 Lightning II conduct an impressive flyover!
Such displays—which require military precision that only the military can deliver—don't come cheap, but the Defense Department has a workaround.
"Since DODI 5410.19 also prohibits military aircraft from being hired or paid for an aerial display, most flyover hours come from the supporting unit's annual flight training budget. Their approval requires a healthy balance between the cost of operating the aircraft, the benefit of community engagement, and the training value associated with the event," Simple Flying explained.
Thus, while it can cost more than $100,000 per flight hour for the B-2 Spirit to take part in the Rose Parade and do a flyover of the stadium, the result is a truly priceless moment.
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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